More than one way to live a life

It’s safe to say that readers of all ages would benefit from pondering the big-picture questions Sara Zarr explores in The Lucy Variations: Are you obligated to “use” your talent, or is it all right to simply enjoy it? And what do you do when someone you love makes decisions you abhor?Thanks to a family that pushes her toward...

United by death and the promise of new life

Pain makes us human, and the acceptance of this harsh reality makes us a family—that is the idea behind How to Save a Life. Author Sara Zarr captures real, unsentimental emotions as two teen girls from opposite worlds are thrust together at the cusp of womanhood.Harsh, punky Jill MacSweeney is mourning the death of her father—and not doing a great job of it. She has alienated...